When we think about sustainability, water management often does not take a very high priority. Often times, companies are so engrossed in constraining their carbon emissions that they cannot see past this. We hear, after all, so much about the need to establish a “carbon footprint” and little else. The best companies are beginning to understand that sustainability is multifaceted, though, and they need to look at the management of their resources across the board.
Water consumption carries risks and opportunities for every company and to fully understand these elements, a footprint must be constructed. The water footprint tells us how a company needs water for its existence and how it produces wastewater as a consequence. It’s important that the company allocates resources to manage the risk associated with use and discharge.
If carbon emissions exist throughout the product lifecycle, as we are learning, doesn’t it follow that water usage should also extend beyond the simpler boundaries of a business? A corporate water strategy has to be able to look upstream at its disposal issues and downstream toward its supply chains. The sheer amount of water that is embedded in products manufactured by a company, or the levels of wastewater produced, could dictate that a far more complex analysis is required than initially thought.
Because water is such a finite resource and because we are all entirely dependent on its sustainability, a company faces particular threats and challenges over and above strict financial ones. In this process of discovery, the company will need to assess how others, corporate and individual, may rely on the same sources for their water and how they are currently, or could be in future, impacted by the decisions made in the boardroom.
Legislative bodies on a regional and national basis set high standards for water consumption, but the company is well advised to go over and above the standards when they create a corporate water strategy. It’s best to be forward thinking and to realize that reputations could be enhanced by good policy, in much the same way as carbon emissions are concerned.
As we have seen during recent pronouncements from Wal-Mart and others, the operations of a supplier are becoming increasingly important and under scrutiny from the buying company. Packaging materials are a particular focus of concern and the company must clearly assess any water related impacts associated with the packaging used to deliver raw materials and work in progress to the production line.
Many organizations simply do not understand, as yet, that the actions of their suppliers are their responsibility, in sustainable terms. Whether in terms of energy, emissions or water resource usage, supply chains offer the largest potential for efficiency.
Whenever a lot of water is used in the production of goods, a company’s water footprint should be critically analyzed. Executives must investigate every single opportunity to cut back on water usage daily, to ensure that the corporate water strategy is just as strong as one relating to carbon emissions.
Daniel Stouffer has much more information about your corporate water strategy and how a visit to www.verisae.com can benefit you.
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